The Indian film industry will be represented by the ‘first family of the Hindi film industry’ – the Bachchans. The legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, who receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at DIFF, will be joined by his actor-son Abhishek.

India’s new teenybopper sensation Ranbir Kapoor, the star of DIFF Indian Cinema Gala Rocket Singh – Salesman of the Year, and the film’s director Shimit Amin, who shot to fame with Chak De India, will also grace the gala red carpet this year.

Indian national award winning actor Mammootty, the hero of DIFF-film Kutty Srank (Sailor of Hearts), is another notable celebrity attendance from the Subcontinent.

Actors Boman Irani, Sameer Dattani and Minissha Lamba, who all star in Well Done Abba, Shyam Bengal’s movie that is being screened at DIFF, add to the celebrity list.

Two Indian stars Sonu Sood (Jodha Akbar) and Javed Jaffrey (Daddy Cool, Singh is King) mark their presence at DIFF 2009 through their roles in the first Emirati film, City of Life, the Arabian Nights Gala. They will be joined by Natalie Dormer (Flawless), the female lead of the Ali Mustafa film.

Lending weight to the jury list of Muhr Arab and Muhr AsiaAfrica awards are two Indian celebrities – the world-renowned painter and film director M.F. Hussain (Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities) and actress Manisha Koirala (Dil Se, Khamoshi, Bombay).

Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan will lead the Cultural Bridge programme at DIFF this year while the titan of the Arab film world, Omar Shariff, also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at DIFF, will lead the Arab contingent of celebrities this year.